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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Can I leave a kitten for 2 days?

69 replies

Hubblez · 11/12/2013 12:47

Hello, first post after a week of lurking!

I recently got a kitten but over Christmas I'm going to travel and stay with family, will be gone for 3 days and 2 nights but leaving the morning of the first and coming home the evening of the third day. The kitten will be 9 and a half weeks when we leave and won't have had its vaccinations so can't go into a kennel or anything. I've also got 2 large dogs but am taking them with me, I could take kitten too but it hasn't been introduced to dogs yet so this would be really awkward when visiting people as it means it would be trapped in a cat carrier the whole time OR left in a room alone in an empty house of a relative during the day and be with us at night (not sure how safe the area is of the house though) it just feels like along with the dogs this is going to be messy and stressful to take kitten and possibly unsafe

Would it be viable to leave the kitten behind in my house when we go? It has it's own empty room full of cat things so I would leave lots of food and water down as it eats when it's hungry so wouldn't gobble it all, or is leaving it a bad idea? I also have 2 guinea pigs I'd be leaving (in a different room) as I don't know anyone in the area (recently moved) who could look after them

Was originally going to be gone for a day but because I can stay in the relatives empty house it means I can stay for longer and see family properly who I haven't seen in 6 months

So what do you think is best to do with the kitten? I've never had a cat before so not sure if method 2 would work or if it is cruel, thanks for any advice

OP posts:

GreenShadowsOfTheChristmasTree · 11/12/2013 15:54

Personally, I would be very hesitant about taking a cat on such a long journey until it was really really necessary (ie. moving house)

Our two absolutely hate the car. They are terrified and cry pitifully when they are subjected to a short journey to the vets or a cattery. They also often wee or poo in their carrier out of terror. I can't imagine having to take them on a 3 hour journey (and then do it again 3 days later).

Sounds to me like a cat sitter is the best solution if you can find one.

HesterShaw · 11/12/2013 15:56

But lots of cats don't mind travelling.

Ours goes into a kind of stasis.

HesterShaw · 11/12/2013 15:56

She would on the other hand be mortally afraid of a cat sitter.

Sparklingbrook · 11/12/2013 16:38

I love that pen.

GreenShadowsOfTheChristmasTree · 11/12/2013 16:39

Fair enough Hester. Unfortunately OP won't find out one way or the other until it is too late.

HesterShaw · 11/12/2013 16:43

Quite.

But I think the OP was just trying to find out information. She has received the message loud and clear now.

HaBumbug · 11/12/2013 16:43

Whilst I agree with those saying you can't leave the kitten, I disagree about the guinea pigs, they will be fine for two nights with piles of food and hay, and an extra couple of water bottles on their cage.

woozlebear · 11/12/2013 17:01

is it really illegal to leave animals for 24 hours? i do it all the time with my two?

I've read on several threads here that it is. Surely common sense would dictate that you wouldn't, anyway, in case they ate all the food, were sick, spilled the water, got ill etc. Besides the litter situation would become horrible (unless they're going out while you're not there, which just raises a whole separate issue of accidents etc.)

sebsmummy1 · 11/12/2013 17:14

Errrrm of course you can't!!

You pay an animal sitter to come in twice daily to feed and water and play - this is the absolute minimum you should do.

A better alternative would be to change your plans or arrange for the kitten to be looked after full time.

Whereabouts are you?

teenagetantrums · 11/12/2013 17:17

but i dont change the cat trays every 24 hours, they always have dry food down and dont eat it within 24 hours, i had not thought of the getting ill thing, but they have never been to the vet in 4 years for sickness and if i was here i wouldn't whisk them off at the first sign of it.

sebsmummy1 · 11/12/2013 17:28

If it was an adult cat with no health problems, access to the outdoors and a confident nature I would say that is fine. A 9 week old kitten, absolutely not.

noddyholder · 11/12/2013 19:21

This thread shouldn't have had to go beyond the first no. To even consider this you should re home

Original poster

Hubblez · 11/12/2013 22:16

If people actually read the thread properly then you can see that I want what is best for the kitten. I'm hardly going to rehome it because I am going away for 3 days. I got the kitten unexpectedly not like "I will buy a kitten then go away and leave it in my house for 3 days, what a good idea!!" I took on advice and multiple times since then have said that I won't be leaving it, I only asked initially since I've not had a cat before and assumed since lots of cats go outside that they can be more independant but didn't know from what age or to what extent

I didn't realise that new cat owners are frowned upon or that people are banned from having an animal that they haven't previously had experience with. Along with useful replies half the replies here are just very rude and unhelpful and making me out to be some kind of animal abuser, which is far from the truth and you should only have to read my posts to see that

Thank you to the people who have actually helped, I will be buying a cat carrier and taking the kitten, dog cage and cat pen with me when I travel

OP posts:

HesterShaw · 11/12/2013 22:17

Good luck OP.

SilverApples · 11/12/2013 22:21

OP, you need to make friends with a sensible local teenager and give them a key. Mine both do petcare for friends who go on holiday, they get around £40 for a week and make sure that the animals, plants and mail get looked after.
I'm glad you have realised that leaving your animals to manage alone, especially a kitten, is not acceptable.

TheBunsOfPanettone · 11/12/2013 22:28

Best of luck OP and please don't be put off coming back to this mostly very helpful board by the people who have been taking a self-righteous pop at you. There's lots of good stuff here.

EustaciaVye · 12/12/2013 11:23

My kitten lived in a catpen like that for the first week we had her. It was her safe place. She was free to roam but kept going back to it. Perfect for travel.

Please take her with you as they get up to so much mischief and get lonely on their own.

Caterina99 · 16/12/2013 17:05

We took our kitten away to a cottage with friends for the weekend when she was about 10 weeks old (plans changed, the breeder had an emergency and we got forced to take her 2 weeks earlier than we were originally supposed to). She was absolutely fine in the car for a 3 hour journey in her carrier, meowed for the first bit, but settled down to sleep quickly. She stayed in the bathroom when we were out as it was the smallest room in the place. Checked for hazards. Toilet seat firmly down. We did change plans a bit to make sure we weren't out all day and she wasn't alone for too long, but she was absolutely fine.

WeOnlyCareAboutOurselves · 08/08/2019 22:56

I know that it has been almost 9 years since this thread opened and I know this is going to be meaningless now, but when I came across this post I literally got sick to my stomach.

You just moved, got a new kitten, and now want to leave it alone for 3 days because it would "be nice" to see your relatives, for whom you've seen in the past half year? And yes, originally one day, turned into 3 because "it would be nice to stay in an empty house"?? I'm sorry but, do you re-read your posts before you hit send? How could you even consider putting a baby through that, at home OR along for the ride?? You didn't consider literally anything other than your own self before making your plans. No, you absolutely should NOT leave a kitten alone for more than a couple of hours at a time, especially when adjusting to a new environment as you just got him! I do have a solution, and you're not going to like it. You should have never gotten the cat to begin with, because you have no clue, care or consideration towards ANY of your animals, not just the kitten.You only care about yourself. And I absolutely don't care if you're thinking anything along the lines of "well I came here to post and see if people thought it was okay, so I did my part". You obviously planned everything out before you even wrote your post, it clearly shows with all the details you provided. The fact that you organized all of this and were ready to go along with it, makes you irresponsible, selfish and ignorant...all at once!
Close your eyes, and try to imagine this......You are a year or two old, being left alone by yourself in an environment you are still trying to adjust to. And on top of that, your newfound "guardians" (to an animal more like "captors") speak a completely different language than you. Ask yourself....do you think you would enjoy that?? Do you care about anything other than yourself??
You are just another addition to the scum of this Earth, causing pain and suffering without even knowing it. What you were describing, considering in your post....is no different than a young child being kidnapped and forced into the captor's lifestyles, which for them, is nothing but abuse, neglect and loneliness. I really don't give a damn what you did about it or what happened. The least you could have done before even considering what you posted was have some respect for your captors! If you can't do it unconditionally, you shouldn't have them. Period. Pokes side of forehead Use your brain...because the animals have no choice in the matter. Remember that!

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